Pathogenesis of Chronic Lung Diseases Laboratory
- Dr Michelle Hansen
Dr Michelle Hansen, PhD
Research Fellow
Department of Pharmacology
University of Melbourne
Email: mjhansen@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 5746
The primary interest of Dr Hansen’s laboratory is to understand the signalling pathways involved in the progression of chronic lung diseases such as COPD and asthma. She is involved in a multidisciplinary translational approach combining basic science with clinical validation studies through her collaboration with Lou Irving at Royal Melbourne Hospital. In particular her major research interest has been in identifying the mechanisms involved in the wasting associated with COPD. The cause of the wasting in COPD is unknown but it is a powerful predictor of mortality. Therefore, reversing wasting might be a major advance in COPD treatment increasing the quality of life and survival of patients. Dr Hansen has developed a number of preclinical models of COPD to address her research questions and to test possible therapeutic targets. This work has identified that down regulation of local skeletal muscle insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) may play a role in the wasting associated with chronic smoke exposure. IGF-1 is critical for skeletal muscle growth and regeneration. IGF-1 promotes skeletal muscle hypertrophy by increasing protein synthesis and satellite cell proliferation and differentiation. Unfortunately and paradoxically systemically administered IGF-1 is only weakly effective on muscle and, as the IGF-1 receptor is ubiquitously expressed, may increase side effects, including malignancy. Therefore, we are developing novel techniques to deliver IGF-1 that will specifically target skeletal muscle. The work from this laboratory may identify novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of the wasting associated with COPD.
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Key Publications
Gualano R.C., Hansen M.J. Vlahos R., Jones J.E., Park-Jones R.A., Deliyannis G., Turner S.J., Duca K.A., Anderson G.P. Cigarette smoke worsens lung inflammation and impairs resolution of influenza infection in mice. Respiratory Research 9 (2008).
Chen H., Hansen M.J., Jones J.E., Vlahos R., Anderson G.P., and Morris M.J Long-term cigarette smoke exposure increases uncoupling protein expression but reduces energy intake. Brain Research 1228 (2008) 81-88.
Chen H., Hansen M.J., Jones J.E., Vlahos R., Anderson G.P., and Morris M.J. Detrimental metabolic effects of combining long term cigarette smoke exposure and high-fat diet in mice. American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism 293 (2007) E1564-1571.
Chen H., Hansen M.J., Jones J.E., Vlahos R., Bozinovski S., Anderson G.P., and Morris M.J. Cigarette smoke exposure reprograms the hypothalamic neuropeptide Y appetite axis to promote weight loss. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 173 (2006) 1248-1254.
Hansen M.J., Gualano R.C., Bozinovski S., Vlahos R. and Anderson G.P. Therapeutic prospects to treat skeletal muscle wasting in COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), Invited review for Pharmacology and Therapeutics 109: 162-172 (2006).
Hansen, M.J., Schiöth, H.B., and Morris, M.J. Feeding responses to a melanocortin agonist and antagonist in obesity induced by a palatable high-fat diet, Brain Research 1039 (2005)
Hansen, M.J., Jovanovska, V., and Morris, M.J. Adaptive responses in hypothalamic neuropeptide Y in the face of prolonged high-fat feeding in the rat, Journal of Neurochemistry 88 (2004) 909-916.